Trump era sees 65 Indians detained daily for attempted US entry

According to US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data from January to December 2025, a total of 23,830 Indians were caught. By comparison, 85,119 Indians were apprehended during former President Joe Biden’s term in 2024, indicating a sharp drop.

Post Published By: Sujata Biswal

Updated : 1 February 2026, 6:38 PM IST

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New Delhi: Cases of illegal entry into the US via the so-called “donkey route” have declined, but they have not stopped entirely. During the first year of President Donald Trump’s term, an average of 65 Indians were apprehended daily attempting to enter the country illegally.

According to US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data from January to December 2025, a total of 23,830 Indians were caught. By comparison, 85,119 Indians were apprehended during former President Joe Biden’s term in 2024, indicating a sharp drop.

New Trend: Solo Migrants Replace Families

A notable change has emerged in 2025: all Indians caught were single individuals. No families were apprehended together. In contrast, in 2024, approximately 20,000 Indians apprehended were attempting to enter the US with siblings, spouses, or children.

Shift in Routes: Turkey-Dubai Replaces Canada-Mexico

The route of illegal entry has also changed. While the Canadian and Mexican borders previously accounted for most cases, the Turkey–Dubai route is now being used more frequently.

• 6,968 Indians were caught at the Canadian border.
• 1,543 at the Mexican border.
• 15,319 were apprehended inside various US cities.

It is believed that many are entering the US via flights through the Canada-Dubai corridor, often using vacation visas and overstaying their permitted durations.

Record Deportations

Deportations of Indian nationals also hit a 16-year high. In 2025, 3,254 Indians were deported-the highest since 2009. Over the past 16 years, a total of 18,882 Indians have been deported from the US.